By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 40 other NEXTEL Cup drivers took to the track on Monday in preparation for the 2006 season.
After two days of testing earlier this month at Daytona International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and other NASCAR drivers will spend three days in Las Vegas shaking down their cars on a mile and a half track.
Earnhardt Jr. has struggled on those length tracks, so a good test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway could be the key to a successful run at the NEXTEL Cup championship.
Coming off the worst finish of his five-year NASCAR career, 19th, Earnhardt Jr. is hoping to turn it around this season with the re-pairing of himself and crew chief Tony Eury Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. was 15th in both the morning and afternoon sessions at Las Vegas with car No. 8A.
In the morning session, he posted a speed of 167.593. In the afternoon session, he ran a 166.945.
Jeff Green was on top of the speed chart in the morning practice session with a speed of 170.068. In the afternoon test, it was Elliott Sadler on top with a 168.429.
The 2005 season was a disaster by Dale Earnhardt Inc. standards.
The team switched crew, cars and shops with then teammate Michael Waltrip.
The constant feuding between Earnhardt and Eury forced the move.
Both know now it was a mistake.
Waltrip is gone and joining the DEI stable will be two-time Busch Series champion Truex Jr., who drove for the team co-owned by Earnhardt.
The pair feel that they will be able to work well together in 2006.
Earnhardt and Truex both feel like they will jell together as teammates.
Truex Jr. feels that because of the situation that he is in with his former car owner, that the two have formed a strong bond.
Truex Jr. did not fare as well in his testing session at Las Vegas on Monday.
In the morning session he posted a speed of 166.795, while in the afternoon session his speed was 165.396.
Truex added that it takes him a little time to adjust to getting back into a race car and driving on a track like Las Vegas.
With the start of the 2006 season now just three weeks away, Truex feels that he is ready to handle the pressures of being a full-time NEXTEL Cup driver.
And what does Earnhardt Jr. think about Truex will handle his first season of Cup racing?
Testing continues today with drafting to take place on Wednesday.